Continued contacts between Israel, Turkey

The Turkish Daily News newspaper said on Wednesday, quoting Israeli officials, that the recent visit made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to Turkey is the first in the series of successive open contacts that are taking place between Israel and Turkey during the coming six months.

The paper quoted the Israeli officials as saying that Barak will visit Turkey twice. The first visit will be on November 18 to take part in the summit of the security and cooperation organization in Europe, and the second visit will come at the beginning of the year 2000, while Israeli President Ezre Weizman will visit Turkey in April, 2000.

The Israeli officials said that economists in the two countries will discuss economic relations through the joint Israeli-Turkish committee which will hold its meetings in occupied Jerusalem next February. The Israeli officials indicated that Israel's relations with Turkey are concentrated on the military and economic fields.

The paper reported, quoting sources close to Israel, that Turkey and Israel will hold joint naval maneuvers in November.